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Aggressive Behavior Jul 2020Two experiments were conducted to investigate whether sexual objectification increases retaliatory aggression serially through increased vulnerability and hostile intent... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Two experiments were conducted to investigate whether sexual objectification increases retaliatory aggression serially through increased vulnerability and hostile intent attributions. Female participants were first exposed to the sexual objectification manipulation by receiving compliments from an online male partner (Experiment 1) or imagining a workplace objectification experience (Experiment 2). Afterward, their vulnerability and hostile intent attributions were assessed. Finally, they were given an opportunity to behave aggressively toward the source of objectification. The results of both experiments indicated that, compared with their counterparts in the control conditions, participants in the sexual objectification condition reported higher levels of vulnerability, hostile intent attributions, and aggression. Moreover, vulnerability and hostile intent attributions serially mediated the effect of sexual objectification on aggression. These findings highlight the critical influence of vulnerability and hostile intent attributions in understanding how sexual objectification increases aggression.
Topics: Aggression; Female; Hostility; Humans; Intention; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Sexual Behavior; Social Perception
PubMed: 32212173
DOI: 10.1002/ab.21889 -
Rivista Di Psichiatria 2017Aggression is a behaviour with evolutionary origins, but in today’s society it is often both destructive and maladaptive. Increase of aggressive behaviour has been... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Aggression is a behaviour with evolutionary origins, but in today’s society it is often both destructive and maladaptive. Increase of aggressive behaviour has been observed in a number of serious mental illnesses, and it represents a clinical challenge for mental healthcare provider. These phenomena can lead to harmful behaviours, including violence, thus representing a serious public health concern. Aggression is often a reason for psychiatric hospitalization, and it often leads to prolonged hospital stays, suffering by patients and their victims, and increased stigmatization. Moreover, it has an effect on healthcare use and costs in terms of longer length of stay, more readmissions and higher drug use.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In this review, based on a selective search of 2010-2016 pertinent literature on PubMed, we analyze and summarize information from original articles, reviews, and book chapters about aggression and psychiatric disorders, discussing neurobiological basis and therapy of aggressive behaviour.
RESULTS
A great challenge has been revealed regarding the neurobiology of aggression, and an integration of this body of knowledge will ultimately improve clinical diagnostics and therapeutic interventions. The great heterogeneity of aggressive behaviour still hampers our understanding of its causal mechanisms. Still, over the past years, the identification of specific subtypes of aggression has released possibilities for new and individualized treatment approaches.
CONCLUSIONS
Neuroimaging studies may help to further elucidate the interrelationship between neurocognitive functioning, personality traits, and antisocial and violent behaviour. Recent studies point toward manipulable neurobehavioral targets and suggest that cognitive, pharmacological, neuromodulatory, and neurofeedback treatment approaches can be developed to ameliorate urgency and aggression in schizophrenia. These combined approaches could improve treatment efficacy. As current pharmacological and therapeutic interventions are effective but imperfect, new insights into the neurobiology of aggression will reveal novel avenues for treatment of this destructive and costly behaviour.
Topics: Age Factors; Aggression; Alcohol-Induced Disorders; Biogenic Amines; Catechol O-Methyltransferase; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Mental Disorders; Monoamine Oxidase; Neuroimaging; Neurotransmitter Agents; Psychomotor Agitation; Psychotropic Drugs; Risk Factors; Sleep Wake Disorders
PubMed: 29105699
DOI: 10.1708/2801.28344 -
The Journal of Adolescent Health :... Jun 2019The negative impacts of aggressive bullying behavior by adolescents on both the bullies and victims are being increasingly recognized as social and economic problems. At... (Review)
Review
The negative impacts of aggressive bullying behavior by adolescents on both the bullies and victims are being increasingly recognized as social and economic problems. At the same time, there are alarming trends in face-to-face and online aggression and bullying behavior in Hong Kong. Since the 1970s, prevention and intervention programs to reduce bullying behavior have been implemented in schools in Western countries; however, antibullying and antiaggression programs in Hong Kong schools only began in the 2000s. There are two ways of defining the target groups for these intervention programs. Programs using a one-factor model categorize the adolescents who exhibit bullying behavior into a single group, bullies, whereas two-factor models distinguish two subtypes of aggression: reactive and proactive aggression. The former approach is emphasized in the Restorative Whole-school Approach with Shared Concern method, which uses mediation to reduce bullying in schools. The two-factor approach differentiates adolescents' behaviors into reactive, proactive, or occurring reactive-proactive aggression based on the functions and underlying goals of their actions. Specific interventions are then designed to address the particular features and psychosocial correlates of reactive and proactive aggression. The aim is to develop the positive development attributes related to specific types of aggression and thus reduce aggressive behavior in schools.
Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Aggression; Bullying; Child; Crime Victims; Hong Kong; Humans; Prevalence; Schools
PubMed: 31122552
DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.09.018 -
Journal of the American Academy of... Jul 2023"Not fair!" is a call to action regularly heard by parents and mental health professionals. It is well known that a person's perception of fairness might provoke them to...
"Not fair!" is a call to action regularly heard by parents and mental health professionals. It is well known that a person's perception of fairness might provoke them to anger and aggression. Beyond common experience, all sorts of experiments involving people's responses to rigged, interactive games have proved the point. Indeed, it is not just people; de Waal charmed the world with a TED talk in which monkeys took umbrage and aggressed in response to unfairness. Knowing this, Mathur et al. used unfairness and retaliation to illuminate the complex neural circuity of aggression in adolescents.
Topics: Humans; Aggression
PubMed: 36905981
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.03.004 -
Current Opinion in Psychology Feb 2018Aggression is a complex, multifaceted behavior often caused by numerous factors and expressed in innumerable ways. Like all behaviors, aggression represents the outcome... (Review)
Review
Aggression is a complex, multifaceted behavior often caused by numerous factors and expressed in innumerable ways. Like all behaviors, aggression represents the outcome of sets of biological and physiological processes emerging from the brain. Although this may seem obvious, discovering the specific neural circuits and neurophysiological processes responsible for engendering aggressive responses has proven anything but simple. The purpose of this review is to provide a brief overview of discoveries in both human cognitive neuroscience and animal behavioral neuroscience that have begun to shed light-literally in some cases-on the heretofore mysterious neural processes and connections responsible for producing aggressive behavioral responses.
Topics: Aggression; Animals; Brain; Humans; Models, Animal; Neurosciences; Social Behavior; Violence
PubMed: 29279225
DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.04.002 -
Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik,... Jun 2022Embitterment is an emotion which is known to everybody. Embitterment results in suffering for the afflicted person and the environment, including dysfunctional...
BACKGROUND
Embitterment is an emotion which is known to everybody. Embitterment results in suffering for the afflicted person and the environment, including dysfunctional behavior and aggressive phantasies. This should be recognized in psychotherapy. There is a lack of respective data. The present study examines the rate and correlation of embitterment and aggression in psychotherapy patients.
METHOD
The study was done in an outpatient behavior therapy clinic. Patients filled in the PTED scale (Post-Traumatic Embitterment Disorder self-rating scale), the K-FAF (brief questionnaire to assess aggression factors), and the SCL-90-S (Symptom Checklist-90-Standard). Sociodemographic data were taken from the routine database of the clinic.
RESULTS
A total of 118 patients, with a mean age of 38 years (SD=13.3 years, R=18-76 years), agreed to participate in the study. The mean score of the PTED scale was M=1.8 (SD=0.81; R=0-3.38). A cut-off-value of M≥2.5, which indicates clinically relevant embitterment was found in 22% of patients. The mean sum score of the aggressiveness scale (total) was 30.25 (SD=17.94). There were 23.7% of patients with a cut-off≥18.37 in reactive aggression and 54.2% with a cut-off≥14.8 in explosive aggression. Significant correlations were found between the PTED scale and the aggression scale (total) (r=0.422, p<0.001), as well as the subcategories "explosive" (r=0.355, p<0.001) and "reactive" aggression (r=0.425, p<0.001). A comparison of patients with increased embitterment, with increased aggression, with increased combined embitterment/aggression, and with inconspicuous patients showed a significant increase in regard to general mental distress as measured with the SCL-90 (GSI of the SCL-90-S: f(3,71)=4.00, p=0.011) and the rate of unemployment (Fisher-Test p=0.008) in the combined as compared to the inconspicuous group (GSI of the SCL-90-S: f(3,71)=4.00, p=0.011). There were no further significant differences in regard to other sociodemographic variables (age, gender, family status and education).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The data show that embitterment and aggression are seen in relevant frequency in psychotherapy patients. They are significantly correlated, as suggested by theory. Therapists should be aware of this problem and intervene adequately.
Topics: Adult; Aggression; Emotions; Humans; Psychotherapy; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 34911104
DOI: 10.1055/a-1647-3353 -
Current Opinion in Psychology Feb 2018Escalated interpersonal aggression and violence are common symptoms of multiple psychiatric disorders and represent a significant global health issue. Current... (Review)
Review
Escalated interpersonal aggression and violence are common symptoms of multiple psychiatric disorders and represent a significant global health issue. Current therapeutic strategies are limited due to a lack of understanding about the neural and molecular mechanisms underlying the 'vicious' shift of normal adaptive aggression into violence, and the environmental triggers that cause it. Development of novel animal models that validly capture the salient features of human violent actions combined with newly emerging technologies for mapping, measuring, and manipulating neuronal activity in the brain significantly advance our understanding of the etiology, neuromolecular mechanisms, and potential therapeutic interventions of excessive aggressive behaviors in humans.
Topics: Aggression; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Brain; Humans; Mental Disorders; Models, Animal; Social Isolation; Violence
PubMed: 29279228
DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.04.006 -
American Journal of Medical Genetics.... Jul 2016Human aggression encompasses a wide range of behaviors and is related to many psychiatric disorders. We introduce the different classification systems of aggression and... (Review)
Review
Human aggression encompasses a wide range of behaviors and is related to many psychiatric disorders. We introduce the different classification systems of aggression and related disorders as a basis for discussing biochemical biomarkers and then present an overview of studies in humans (published between 1990 and 2015) that reported statistically significant associations of biochemical biomarkers with aggression, DSM-IV disorders involving aggression, and their subtypes. The markers are of different types, including inflammation markers, neurotransmitters, lipoproteins, and hormones from various classes. Most studies focused on only a limited portfolio of biomarkers, frequently a specific class only. When integrating the data, it is clear that compounds from several biological pathways have been found to be associated with aggressive behavior, indicating complexity and the need for a broad approach. In the second part of the paper, using examples from the aggression literature and psychiatric metabolomics studies, we argue that a better understanding of aggression would benefit from a more holistic approach such as provided by metabolomics. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Topics: Aggression; Biomarkers; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Humans; Mental Disorders; Metabolomics; Psychiatry
PubMed: 26913573
DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32435 -
The Western Journal of Emergency... Jul 2020Managing agitation in the clinical setting is a challenge that many practitioners face regularly. Our evolving understanding of the etiological factors involved in... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Managing agitation in the clinical setting is a challenge that many practitioners face regularly. Our evolving understanding of the etiological factors involved in aggressive acts has better informed our interventions through pharmacologic and behavioral strategies. This paper reviews the literature on the neurobiological underpinnings of aggressive behaviors, linking psychopathology with proposed mechanisms of action of psychiatric medications shown to be effective in mitigating agitation.
METHODS
We performed a review of the extant literature using PubMed as a primary database. Investigation focused on neurobiology of agitation and its relation to the current evidence base for particular interventions.
RESULTS
There are well-established pathways that can lead to increased autonomic response and the potential for violence. Psychopathology and substance-induced perceptual distortions may lead to magnification and overestimation of environmental threat, heightening the potential for aggression. Additional challenges have arisen with the advent of several novel drugs of abuse, many of which lead to atypical clinical presentations and which can elude standard drug screens. Our interventions still lean on the evidence base found in Project BETA (Best Practices in Evaluation and Treatment of Agitation). Although not a new drug and not included in the Project BETA guidelines, ketamine and its use are also discussed, given its unique pharmacology and potential benefits when other protocoled interventions have failed.
CONCLUSION
Aggression can occur due to manifold reasons in the clinical setting. Having an informed understanding of the possible determinants of agitation can help with more tailored responses to individual patients, limiting the unnecessary use of medications or of interventions that could be deemed forceful.
Topics: Aggression; Humans; Psychomotor Agitation; Psychotropic Drugs
PubMed: 32726254
DOI: 10.5811/westjem.2020.4.45779 -
Aggressive Behavior Jul 2019This study examined whether the associations between self-aggression and different forms of externalized aggression (reactive and spontaneous aggression) are influenced...
This study examined whether the associations between self-aggression and different forms of externalized aggression (reactive and spontaneous aggression) are influenced by self-esteem and current psychopathological symptoms. For this purpose, we asked 681 participants from the general population (GP) and 282 general psychiatric patients (PPs) to answer the German versions of the Short Questionnaire for Assessing Factors of Aggression (K-FAF), the Multidimensional Self-Esteem Scale (MSWS), and the Brief Symptom Inventory 25 Forensic (BSI-25-F). Statistically, we performed descriptive and mediation analyses. Our findings indicated that in both samples the association between self-aggression and reactive aggression was mediated by self-esteem but not by current psychological problems. The association between self-aggression and spontaneous aggression was mediated by self-esteem in the GP sample and by psychopathological symptoms in the PP sample. We conclude that when examining the association between self-aggression and externalized aggression it is important to consider the various subtypes of externalized aggression and differences between populations.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aggression; Female; Humans; Male; Personality; Psychopathology; Self Concept; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 30702753
DOI: 10.1002/ab.21825